Mathematics game apparatus



, Aug. 6, 1957 E. D. CLAY ETAL 2,801,855

MATHEMATICS GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 17. 1953 PLACE PLACE zsno 19vANSWER Bows emu cmws 15 Lwws Z HERE L HERE FACE UP FACE mm ANSWER ANSWERcums #7 amps Y] F TURN 17 CE k ANSWER 17 nu: w 17 mswm cums 10-18, W50-49 .J HERE mes m! 17 TURN Y Tum! mas 1mm! 17 PM: 15 no: [5 18 up J up5451 HERE HERE Tl/RN PLACE TURN rAcs PROBLEM me: [5 UP cums UP v HEREHERE use:

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1 Bonus x0 13 v v 4 12 CARD FRUBLEM L, ANSWER 11 can cmav A 21 F .L g. PZERO cm) 5 POINTS I =--;N Z7 ANSWER ANSWER ANSWER Z5 amps cums cARns 7nee 216ml M me: now Z4 me 1mm Z I eon/us j PROBLEM ZZ cARns cums rumv Z5TURN TURN J FAcE now/1 r40: mas mee- -=E UP u up HERE HERE HEREITZF'ETTIZLUTHE Elmer 210/; A 1g 5 .Z). Clay nited States The presentinvention relates to improvements in card games and more particularlyconcerns a game pedagogically useful for children who are learningmathematics.

An important object of thepresent invention is to provide an improvedcard game especially appealing to children who are in process oflearning basic mathematics.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card game device whichis readily adaptable for teaching and reviewing basic mathematicsinvolving addition, subtraction, multiplication or division.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mathematics card gamewhich is adapted to be played by children of varying degree of progressin learning of mathematical facts.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mathematics cardgame which is especially suitable for group play.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readilyapparent from .the following detailed description of certain preferredembodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingin which Figure 1 is a plan view of a game board which is especiallysuitable for drill and review of the multiplication tables;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a problem card to be used with the board ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a zero card to be used in playing the game; t

Figure 4 is a plan view of an answer card to be used in playing thegame;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a bonus card used in playing the game; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified game board suitable for playingthe game with relation to addition, subtraction and division.

Since the game of the present invention is primarily aimed towardchildren who are learning basic mathematics, fairly simple gameapparatus has been provided which, however, is sufiiciently complex toafford sustained player interest.

Since adaptation of the game to multiplication facts offers the widestrange of scoring possibilities, description of game apparatus for thispurpose, as depicted in Figures 1 through 5 will first be given. To thisend, the game comprises a game board 10,, a set of problem cards 11, azero card 12, a set of answer cards 13 and a set of bonus cards 14.

The game board is divided into a plurality of ap propriately identifieddelineated playing spaces, the principal spaces being arranged in groupsprovided for re ceiving the answer cards for play. There may be, forexample, a set of eighty-one of the answer cards 13. These are placedface down in first area spaces 15 of the respective groups providedtherefor on the playing board 10 and preferably identified in respectiveboxes or areas 17 therebelow by respective ranges of answers that may befound on the cards. There may be five groups of the playing spaceshaving the answer card area spaces 15 disposed in spaced relationsymmetrically across the board from left to right. In the box 17 underthe first answer card area space 15 may be provided the legend 1-9"indicating that the cards placed face down in the first answer cardspace will have answers thereon running from 1 to 9. Under the secondanswer card space may be the legent 10-18 indicating the answer cards inthe pile in that space have answers running individually from 10 to 18.Likewise in the legend box 17 under the third answer card space is foundthe designation 20-28, in the legend box 17 under the fourth answer cardspace is the designation -49, while in the legend box 17 under the fifthanswer card space is the indication 54-81. The answer cards are sortedout into five piles corresponding to the five answer card spaces, inaccordance with the answer legends in the answer boxes under the answercard spaces 15, and the respective piles of answer cards are placed onthe answer card spaces face down. The topmost cards in the several firstarea spaces 15 are then turned face up and laid in respective companioncard receiving second area spaces 18 attached below the legend boxes 17associated with the first answer card area spaces.

At one side of the playing board 10 as for example at the upper lefthand side thereof the zero card 12 is placed face up in a delineatedarea space 19. designated therefor. Y

The bonus cards 14 of which there may be, for ex ample, a set ofeighteen, are placed on another portion of the playing board 10, suchfor example in the upperright hand portion of the playing board in adelineated area space 20 designated therefor.

For ready identification the several sets of playing cards may be ofdistinguishable colors. For example, the problem cards may be white incolor. The answer cards may be green in color. The zero card, being theonly zero answer card supplied, may be the same color as the otheranswer cards. The bonus cards may be orange in color. The several spacesdesignated for the several sets of cards may be colored correspondingly.The colors mentioned are only exemplary and it will be understood thatany combination of colors preferred may be utilized.

In playing the multiplication game, the problem cards, of which thereare preferably one hundred in the pack to cover all combinations ofmultiplication facts, are shuflled. Then four cards are dealt to each ofthe players, of which there may be from one to six. If there is but oneplayer he deals two hands of four cards each, which he playsalternately. The remaining problem cards are placed face down in aproblem card space 21 which may be conveniently located on the lowercentral portion of the playing board 10. Where there is a plurality ofplayers, the player to the left of the dealer starts the game bycomparing the problem cards in his hand with the answer cards face up onthe playing board. if he finds any one or more answers to problemspresent in his hand he picks up the matching answer card, which togetherwith the corresponding problem card then makes a book which the playerplaces in front of him. A succeeding answer card from the pileassociated with the space from which an answer card has been removed isturned down in such space. If the answer on such card responds to aproblem card in the hand of the player he may promptly make anotherbook. If after having made one or more books none of the remainingturned up answer cards find response in the players hand, he may selecta card from any one of the answer card piles and turn it up with a viewto making a further book if possible. This may be continued indefinitelyby the player until he fails to turn up an answer card that matches oneof his problem cards.

Should the player in any one turn play out all four of the problem cardsheld in his hand, he draws a replacement set of problem cards from thepile on the playing board and continues with the play as long as he canmake books of matching problem cards and answer cards. When a player hasexhausted his book making possibilities in any one turn, he replaces anyproblem cards up to four that he has played out of his hand bywithdrawing the next succeeding cards from the problem card stack on theplaying board.

The first player who has in hand or turns up a zero problem card, takesthe zero answer card 12 from the playing board and also receives a bonuscard 14. Thereafter, if the player holding the zero card again turns upa zero problem card he may count it as a book. Any succeeding player whohas in hand or turns up a zero problem card during his turn at play,receives the zero card from the player who previously held the same andreceives credit for a book. Thereby, drill thru play is had in therather important zero answer phase of multiplication.

Bonus cards are also awarded to the players who in any one turn can playout an entire hand of four cards.

Play proceeds until all of the answer cards have been played into books.Scoring may be on the basis of one point for each answer card, fivepoints for each bonus card and ten points for the player who possessesthe zero card at the end of the play.

In order to provide oral drill for the players, coupled with the visualexperience while playing, the rules may require that the playersannounce the problems and answers as they match the problem and answercards in making books. The rules may also provide for penalties forwrong answers detected by opponents, or bonuses for the opponentsdetecting wrong answers in the course of play.

In adapting the game for addition, subtraction and division facts asimplified arrangement of playing board 22 (Figure 6) may be used. Onthis board may be a transversely spaced series of three answer cardspaces 23 having therebelow respective answer legend boxes 24 to whichare attached respective designated spaces 25 for receiving turned upanswer cards in play. A bonus card receiving space 27 may be provided atone end of the board such for example as at the left end, while aproblem card space 28 is provided at the opposite end. One of the boards22 is provided for playing both the subtraction and division gameswhereon the number ranges as shown in dash outline in the legend boxes24 will apepar, for addition the legend boxes will carry respectively 5,610 and 11-18.

In playing the addition, subtraction and division games, the same typeof problem, answer and bonus cards may be used as described hereinabovein conjunction with the multiplication game. The bonus cards may, ofcourse, be identical for all four games. However, the p oblem and answercards will necessarily be diflerent for the four games, in accordancewith the mathematics facts to which the game is directed. Where thegames are supplied in a complete set of four games, it may be desirableto have the answer and problem cards for each game distinctively coloredso that they will not become mixed up with the cards for one of theother games.

It will be readily apparent that each of the mathematics games providedherein is adaptable to students of any degree of learning in theparticular basic mathematics field in which instruction is beingreceived. For example in multiplication, Where the child or childrenhave learned only the 1s, the multiplication game can be A limited toplay with the first pile in which/the answers are from 1 to 9. Thenafter instruction in the 2s has been received the second pile can beadded. Thus additional piles of answer cards are added as learningprogresses. Thereby the students can observe their progress andincentive is provided for progression to the next higher multiplicationtable. Similar progression can be practiced in playing the other threemathematics games.

The game board is a practically indispensable component of each of thegames to serve as guiding means for the players, especially juveniles.For example, the legend areas 17 or 24, as the case may be, areimportant in guiding the players in selecting the piles from which toturn down answer cards in the course of play.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be efiectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a combination in a game device especially use- 111 in drillingchildren in basic mathematics, a playing board having a playing faceprovided thereon, with a plurality of delineated playing spaces arrangedin groups each of which includes a first area space for answer cards anda companion second area space in spaced adjacency thereto, each firstand second area space having therebetween an area bearing a respectivelegend as to a given answer range, a pack of answer cards having on oneface of each a respective and different answer to a mathematicalproblem, the answer cards'being receivable in facedown piles on saidfirst area spaces sorted in accordance with said respective legends andbeing movable into faceup position successively onto the respectivecompanion second area spaces, and a pack of problem cards correspondinggenerally in number to the answer cards and bearing thereon respectiveproblems for which the answer cards bear the respective answers, saidproblem cards being dealable by hands of limited number to players forsuccessive matching into books of the problem cards with thecorresponding answer cards in said second area spaces.

2. A game device as defined in claim 1 including, in addition, adelineated area space identified for bonus cards and a set of bonuscards receivable in said bonus card space to be won and removed by thewinning players in the course of play.

3. A game device as defined in claim 2, wherein the problem cardsinclude certain ones with Zero problems, and the playing board hasthereon a further delineated playing space identified for a zero card,and a zero card receivable in said zero card space to be matched withthe zero problem cards when held by the players in the course of play.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS543,722 Brown July 30, 1895 777,268 Thompson Dec. 13, 1904 830,424Ferris Sept. 4, 1906 1,073,786 Thomas Sept. 23, 1913 1,402,807 TegtmeyerJan. 10, 1922 1,415,019 Crossland May 9, 1922 1,532,722 Wall Apr. 7,1925 1,723,377 Salomon Aug. 6, 1929 1,730,418 Gardner Oct. 8, 19292,355,785 Dorfman Aug. 15, 1944 2,562,633 Needham July 31, 19512,565,702 Stinson Aug. 28, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 296,599 Great BritainSept. 6, 1928

